2014 DRAW: Cats will take on Chappy in Rd 15

GEELONG will have to wait until Round 15 for the eagerly anticipated showdown against new Essendon combination Paul Chapman and Mark Thompson next year.

The match will be a Friday night blockbuster at Etihad Stadium on June 27, according to the latest draft of the 2014 AFL draw, which will be released on Thursday.

The draw remains subject to change until then, but key points from the current draft of the fixture include:

GEELONG will open its season with a Thursday night match on March 20 against Adelaide at Simonds Stadium - the homecoming for James Podsiadly;

THE Cats have seven matches at Simonds Stadium - made up of four night matches, one Sunday twilight against the Western Bulldogs in Round 16, one day game and one floating Round 23 fixture against Brisbane Lions;

GEELONG'S four Melbourne-based home games will be split evenly between the MCG (against Hawthorn and Richmond) and Etihad Stadium (against Carlton and Essendon);

THE Easter Monday clash against Hawthorn at the MCG will continue;SIX interstate trips, covering all states;

AMONG the teams the Cats play twice are runner-up Fremantle, premier Hawthorn and North Melbourne;

SIXTEEN Geelong games will be under lights - 12 night and four twilight;

FOURTEEN Cats games will be live on free-to-air television.

Geelong chief executive Brian Cook said the Cats had pushed hard to receive a Melbourne home match against Collingwood, but were otherwise happy with what they had been dealt.

"I think we're pretty pleased with it," Cook said. "With Simonds Stadium, we've got the lights, so you've got to use them and we know all the games are live now.

"We do also know that some of our more mature, older supporters aren't as keen (for night games). That's the only drawback with all of the night games.

'But by and large, the games have proven to be successful."

The AFL had previously all but agreed to play eight matches at Simonds Stadium next year, but the stadium has lost one match as a result of hosting this year's qualifying final against Fremantle.

Under contractual obligations, Etihad Stadium gains an extra two matches if it misses out on a week-one final - as was the case this year when Simonds was given the nod.

The Cats are hopeful of receiving eight Simonds games in 2015.

Cook said the Thursday night match against Adelaide was a step into the unknown.

"It's the first time under lights on a Thursday for us, so that's going to be interesting to see whether that works," Cook said.

"Particularly playing an interstate team where people are more than likely not going to travel if they have work on the Friday morning.